Blue Grit

A Blue Grit, also known as a blue Liberal or a business Liberal, is a member or supporter of the <a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal Party of Canada</a> or of one of the nation's provincial and territorial Liberal parties who is generally considered to be <a href="/facts/Centre-right_politics/t05mK4rv">right-of-centre</a>. The term has also been applied to former <a href="/facts/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Canada/X3BdD7qJ">Progressive Conservative Party of Canada</a> members who are now Liberals, such as <a href="/facts/Scott_Brison/Srh7geyv">Scott Brison</a>. 
The loose 'faction' of Blue Grits can generally be described as <a href="/facts/Liberal_conservatism/LBHdAxvQ">liberal conservative</a> in ideological terms, typically advocating for policies that combine <a href="/facts/Fiscal_conservatism/YyGNlcRd">fiscal caution</a> with <a href="/facts/Cultural_liberalism/0qn4Eped">cultural liberalism</a>. Additionally, Blue Grits are often seen as more inclined toward <a href="/facts/Monarchism_in_Canada/7hm50CXs">monarchist</a> and <a href="/facts/Canadian_nationalism/p1QjrWpe">nationalist</a> sentiments than the more progressive elements of the Liberal movement. Unlike the federal <a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative Party</a> and many of its provincial and territorial counterparts, the Liberal movement in Canada has not historically exhibited a clearly identifiable ideological factional divide. This is partly due to the federal <a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal Party</a>'s historically high level of <a href="/facts/Party_discipline/RcYr1Q0c">party discipline</a> in Parliament. While quite similar to <a href="/facts/Red_Tory/qKaMo8Lh">Red Tories</a>, Blue Grits tend to be less inclined toward <a href="/facts/Paternalistic_conservatism/z2CGt512">paternalism</a> and <a href="/facts/Traditionalist_conservatism/JwTRxNzr">traditionalism</a>, instead focusing more on <a href="/facts/Economic_liberalism/FVN7C4Le">economic liberalism</a> — hence their alternative name, business Liberals.
Prominent current leaders that have been identified as Blue Grits include <a href="/facts/Mark_Carney/KhaJA0KI">Mark Carney</a>, the current <a href="/facts/Prime_Minister_of_Canada/XhKW7uSD">Prime Minister of Canada</a>, and <a href="/facts/Bonnie_Crombie/CGhSAazd">Bonnie Crombie</a>, the current leader of the <a href="/facts/Ontario_Liberal_Party/pIB227M4">Ontario Liberal Party</a>.

Blue Grit open-in-new

Blue Grit